I saw one of the funniest things that’s been on the television all year on Match of the Day tonight — Jimmy Bullard’s ‘celebration’ of his penalty for Hull against Manchester City. He both simultaneously satirised the whole cult of ridiculous and self-aggrandising goal celebrations and also ridiculed his own team and manager. It had a sense of irony and timing that is well beyond the capacity of most stand-up comedians — performing in exactly the same spot on the pitch that his manager had chosen to use for his infamous open-air half-time rant at Eastlands last season.
As celebrations go, it knocks Peter Crouch’s robot dance into a cocked hat and shows that, despite all the money and hype, why football is deservedly popular — all human life is there.